Franklin County, Columbus Rat Control Situation:
Thank you for all the extremely useful info on your site. I really appreciate your site and it is very informative. I was unable to find on your site a suggestion for my situation. I live in a day light basement. It's very nice, however there are rats between the upstairs floor of the house and my ceiling. My landlord spent 1600.00 with a company to seal off the house. Guess this did not work. I am starting to smell rat urine in the air. The upstairs reeks. Do you have a suggestion and is it harmful to be breathing this? I have an exterminator coming out to our home Monday. In the past couple of weeks we have been hearing and smelling offensive things. We found a few holes and then came the dropping under the stove and dishwasher and fridge. I am in full blown panic mode. Now I am worried about the cleanup of what's in the walls. I believe I read there is some type of "stuff" or bacteria that is safe and breaks down the feces? Is this true? Is there any way to ensure a sanitary home at this point?
Hi David, I live in a nice neighborhood [Columbus Ohio.] and solved my house rat problem [attic and crawl space just as you advise]. I have a motorhome stored by the side of my house and and had $1,700 worth of electrical wire damage 5 years ago. All damage was below the coach living quarters in wire runs which cross on top of fuel ,water, and sewage tanks. I have been able to isolate and close some of these spaces but not all. In addition the generator set box, room slide out space, and vented battery boxes do not lend themselves to isolation. I had one more instance of rat damage to wiring which I fixed myself 2 years ago. Anytime I see signs of rats I set multiple traps everywhere I can set them. I almost always catch one rat , never more. I have used have usd 8 trays of various repellants which I place at various previous rat sign locations. You list all of mine as useless and You are likely right. I could set traps permanently but they need to be checked , rebaited etc and at age 76 I'm getting damn tire of rolling around on a creeper under my motorhome with 1 1/2 ft of clearance to the house on the right side and 6" clearance to a fence on the left. Any suggestions ?
Columbus Rat Control Tip of The Week
Reasons Why Rats Die Inside Attics And Houses
They Get Thirsty:
Rats often get thirsty when they have ingested any type of poison or when they cannot find their way out of a house. When rats go in search of water, they go towards an area where they will be closest to the outside world. When they have difficulty getting out of the home, they may find themselves in the attic close by their water source that they desperately need but unable to access a way out of the home.
They Get Poisoned On The Way Back To The Nest:
Rats will often travel throughout the home after they've been poisoned. Because poison often takes a bit of time to take effect, a rat might make its way up to the attic to stay warm and then die on its way back from the attic.
They Bleed Out:
Rats that have been affected by spring traps and other means for capturing may bleed out if they sustained serious injuries. This can happen quite quickly especially if the rat has made its way up to the attic to try and escape. This often becomes the final resting space for rats and this can eventually lead to foul odors.
They Get Stuck In Glue Traps:
Glue traps can be another cause for a rat to get stuck in an attic area. When a rat gets stuck in a glue trap it's possible that it will simply die in the area which can lead to people finding the rat or the rat causing a series of issues with smells and rotting. Glue traps are commonly placed in attics because this can be an easy place as it is out of sight for pets, toddlers, and home/business owners.
